Trader Joe's Urges Customers to Toss Beloved Candle Following Major Recall — How to Get Your Money Back

Trader Joe's has issued a recall notice to customers who purchased a Mango Tangerine Scented Candle due to an "unexpected burn pattern" — which apparently means too much of the candle catches on fire.

The beloved grocery chain is offering a full refund and urges customers to return the product without burning it. The flame does not stay contained to the wick; instead, it catches the wax on fire.

Should one misadventure and discover their candle is burning too hard, be sure to treat it like a grease fire and smother the flames. Trying to extinguish burning candle wax with water can result in a fireball and make the situation dramatically worse.

Trader Joe's is known for providing an ethical and humanitarian workplace and keeps a public list of recalls available on its website for consumer protection.

This is an exceptional contrast to some other companies that recently recalled ice cream products contaminated with listeria but removed all mention of the products from their sites instead of warning customers. Oops!

Read on to see what other Trader Joe's products should be returned immediately for a complete refund.

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1. Mango Tangerine Scented Candle

Courtesy of Trader Joe's

The Mango Tangerine Scented Candle was recalled on June 27 due to unexpected burn patterns. Trader Joe's explained that the flame can spread from wick to wax and create a dangerously larger flame, posing a significant safety risk.

Wax fires should be treated as grease fires and extinguished via smothering. Using water can result in flaming balls of wax flying around, increasing the spread of the fire.

2. Infinite Herbs Organic Basil

Courtesy of Trader Joe's

Infinite Herbs Organic Basil was potentially contaminated with salmonella, triggering a recall earlier in April this year. Packages sold between Feb. 1 and April 6 in:

Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin stores are the only ones affected.

Salmonella causes severe food poisoning that can require medical treatment in severe cases.

3. 50% Less Salt Roasted & Salted Whole Cashews

Courtesy of Trader Joe's

If you've recently purchased 50% Less Salt Roasted & Salted Whole Cashews, you'll want to ensure it isn't being recalled for salmonella contamination. Packages sold in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Washington are at risk from these lot numbers:

• Lot No: T12139 - Best Before Feb 21 2025
  
• Lot No: T12140 - Best Before Mar 01 2025
  
• Lot No: T12141 - Best Before Mar 08 2025
  
• Lot No: T12142 - Best Before Mar 10 2025
  

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4. Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings

Courtesy of Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's recalled its Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings for potentially containing plastic bits where there should be none. If you purchased these back in early March with a best-by date of March 7, 2025, and lot code C1-1 or C1-2, pull them out of your freezer and return them to the store to get your money back.

5. Products containing cotija cheese

Courtesy of Trader Joe's

Due to a potential listeria contamination, several products containing cotija cheese were recalled in February. Products on the recall list include:

• Chicken Enchiladas Verde (sku 58292)
  
• Cilantro Salad Dressing (sku 36420)
  
• Elote Chopped Salad Kit (sku 74768)
  
• Southwest Salad (sku 56077)
  

6. Chicken, Lentil & Caramelized Onion Pilaf

Courtesy of Trader Joe's

Check your freezers for Chicken, Lentil, & Caramelized Onion Pilaf from Trader Joe's, and then return it for a total refund because it might contain unspecified foreign materials. Unfortunately, it looks like all of these were recalled in February.

7. Bottom line

Check your pantry and fridge to see if you have any of the recalled products. After all, accidents happen, which consumers understand, but transparency is a must.

Trader Joe's takes product recalls seriously, makes the information available, keeps it up-to-date to protect customers, and, of course, offers customers their money back .

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